Samaritan's Purse Teams

Chengoni, Kenya

Samaritan’s Purse Mission Teams have made a long-term impact in a remote community in southeastern Kenya, through work constructing a much-needed school and building life-changing relationships with community members.

Long-Term Impact

In 2002, Kenya's reform-minded government made elementary education compulsory and free to students. The subsequent deluge of enrolments sparked an unprecedented demand for additional schools. Many are conducted under the nearest shady tree, the blackboard hung from the branches.

With about 15 students, the Chengoni community's local Christian school was conducted this way before Samaritan's Purse Mission Teams helped construct a school building. Completed, the school has three classrooms and student enrollment is expected to triple.

“ We praise God for bringing us here. ”

"The Chengoni school will be a big help in this area," a local Christian named Mwanjirani told Samaritan's Purse.

School Construction

Members of the Mission Teams spent hours under the hot Kenyan sun; carrying and placing blocks, mixing and spreading mortar to form the walls.

"It's very hot work but it's also very rewarding work," said Pam Vokey, who was leading a team from St. John's, NL.

"The friendliness, the thankfulness and the quiet pride of the Kenyan people is wonderful," said Nick Westera, who travelled to Chengoni with his son Aaron. "And their ability to find happiness while having so little is a lesson to all of us."

"This trip has been an eye-opener for me," added fellow Mission Team member Jake Fisher. "I'm seeing (Kenyan) people dealing with more adversity in a single day (including children walking 10 or 20 kilometres each way each day to go to school and/or fetch water) than we deal with in an entire year. It's humbling and it's inspiring."

Mission Team Activities

School construction was one of several activities in which the team from Newfoundland  participated while in Chengoni. They:

• met and worshipped with local pastors who receive evangelism and scriptural training from Samaritan's Purse.

• visited the clay-and-brick homes of Chengoni residents who have clean drinking water because of Samaritan's Purse  BioSand Water Filters.

• toured a Samaritan's Purse's agricultural training facility where local farmers are taught techniques for cultivation, crop diversification, storing water and other training.

• helped local Christians present outreach films to

  “ We learned about your bugs, we learned about your land, and most of all, we learned about your people. Our love for you grew. ”

  residents under a star-filled Kenyan sky – and witnessed dozens come forward to accept Christ, and commit to begin attending a local church.

• organized a puppet show for local children, and taught them a variety of crafts.

• helped organize and lead a soccer tournament (including free soccer balls and jerseys) for local young boys and girls.

• savoured traditional African meals at the Chengoni worksite.

The St. John's team also enjoyed:

• touring some of Kenya's historical sites to learn of the nation's history and culture; swimming in the Indian Ocean, and walking or riding camels along a beach.
• touring a wild game park to watch elephants, giraffes, hippos, and water buffalo; shopping for souvenirs and other items at a busy Nairobi market.

The Leading to Kenya

The Newfoundland team's leader, Pam Vokey, shared with Chengoni's pastors that, "The Lord spoke to our hearts and said the place to go is Kenya."

"We then contacted Samaritan's Purse and they said: 'Go to Chengoni,' " says Vokey.

That sparked a two-year fund-raising campaign at the church. All the while, the church learned about Kenya in preparation for their trip.

"We learned about your bugs, we learned about your land, and most of all, we learned about your people," she told the pastors. "Our love for you grew. And now we praise God for bringing us here."

Vokey's Kenya experiences impressed upon her God's calling for her life. "We have a responsibility to do our part, and when we do our part, God blesses it and makes it work."

In addition to sending teams to Kenya, Samaritan's Purse – Canada conducted 15 other Teams trips in 2006 – to Coast Rica, Nicaraqua, Indonesia, and Thailand. 

For More Information

Samaritan's Purse welcomes interest from groups wanting to form a Mission Team. Please contact Samaritan's Purse Mission Teams at info@samaritan.ca

Ways You Can Help
Pray Please pray for all of the Samaritan’s Purse Teams that are at work around the world – for lasting relationships to be built and the Name of Jesus Christ to be glorified.		Give Your gifts support the work of Samaritan’s Purse and our teams around the world as we meet people’s needs. Donate Here.